Den of Thieves: Pantera Movie Review

Den of Thieves: Pantera (2025)

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Written by: Christian Gudegast (written by), Christian Gudegast & Paul T. Scheuring (characters created by)
Directed by: Christian Gudegast
Starring: Gerard Butler, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Evin Ahmad
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Big Nick is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie, who is embroiled in the treacherous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world's largest diamond exchange.

Verdict
While this is much slower than I expected, it does get better as it goes along. The heists are the best part, with one at the start as well as the big finale leaving you with a good impression. While this sets the foundation for the heist by showing us how they overcome the security measures, it also makes for a slow movie. The final heist helps make that worthwhile. The story is the weakest part of the movie. While the heist validates the preparation we've seen it also manages to undermine the rest of the movie.
It depends.

Review
A sequel to Den of Thieves, cop Big Nick (Gerard Butler) and thief Donnie (O'Shea Jackson Jr.) return. The first movie was rough around the edges, but a fun heist movie in spite of the problems.

This opens with a well orchestrated diamond heist that reels you in. Donnie's crew knows where to be, has the right disguises, and escapes with no issue. Meanwhile Big Nick is having family issues and is put on leave. Nick tracks Donnie down and wants to joint the crew. Nick has always seemed more like a criminal than a cop. With his divorce, he needs money.

O'Shea Jackson Jr., Gerard Butler play Donnie, Big Nick

Donnie and crew are caught between the next job and the one behind them. The owner of the diamonds they stole in the first heist are none too pleased and want them back. There are also plenty of hurdles to complete the next job. We see them case buildings and figure out ways to outmaneuver any security measures. It's a slow buildup to the heist. We get a few scenes of Nick being a loudmouth.

The actual heist is a lot of fun, though the rest of the movie is slower than I expected. I don't know if it's worth the wait, though that does build the foundation for their robbery. Once the heist starts, this just keeps getting better. The story does falter at the end. It's like the movie doesn't trust that the heist is enough, instead needing to include a big reveal that only undermines what we've seen.